In recent times, wireless technology has paved the way for several new and useful applications in the field of electronics and communication. One of the important applications of wireless technology is radio-frequency identification (“RFID”). RFID systems are employed for various purposes such as object tracking, security, inventory control in retail stores, and the like.
RFID is a technology based on the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. For the purposed of this discussion we will examine the Near Field RFID tags, their use and operating characteristics.
The basic RFID tag is composed of a small memory chip and an antenna coil manufactured on a thin layer of substrate material. The antenna acts as a transponder and when exposed to radio frequency electromagnetic radiation which will provide the necessary energy for the contents of the chip can be transmitted by the antenna. RFID tags generally have no power source. They are essentially non-responsive until exposed to sufficient “flux” of the radiation of appropriate frequency to activate and transmit the data stored on the chip.
The most common of the RFID systems use UHF frequencies and most countries have yet to agree on a single area of UHF spectrum. The antenna coil generally is a very basic directional antenna and that is sensitive to direction of the signals.
The introduction of RFID technology in many industries in the recent past has significantly improved the process of inventory management and security in a wide range of applications. However, there are many other industries which still have needs for effective inventory and security systems. A few such industries that can benefit from an effective RFID technology system are Jewelry and Gemstone dealers, Gun Dealers, Pharmacies, and those that handle sensitive documents management such as Defense Industry. There is therefore a need for an effective RFID system for tracking objects stored in a safe or vault.